Shakespeare's Birthplace
Shakespeare's Birthplace
4.5
10:00 - 16:00
Monday
10:00 - 16:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 16:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 16:00
Thursday
10:00 - 16:00
Friday
10:00 - 16:00
Saturday
10:00 - 16:00
Sunday
10:00 - 16:00
About
Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace to walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born and grew up. Hear tales of Shakespeare’s family life, enjoy live theatre on demand and get up close to rare artefacts from the Trust’s world class collections as you discover how the extraordinary William Shakespeare continues to shape our lives today.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Plan your visit
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
207 within 5 kms
Attractions
102 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Glass half fullLondon, United Kingdom142 contributionsWheelchair visitHad a good time here despite my wheelchair. The access through the (rather ugly) modern building next door was straightforward - however I have to say that the flow was very poorly laid out (we skipped one of the museum rooms believing that we would see it again on the way out but we didn’t. Also as you come out into the garden it’s not clear that you should head for the Tudor house). Wheelchairs cannot get upstairs so instead a kind gentleman guide ( who like me was in an electric wheelchair) explained that I should go in the exit and see the ground floor of the Shakespeare house in reverse - but this meant fighting against a coach load of able bodied people doing the tour the right way! But he did also explain that the guides in Jon Shakespeare’s workshop have an iPad with a tour of the upstairs. I learnt more from that excellent iPad video than anything else in the Shakespeare birthplace site! I didn’t ask for or use the disabled toilet so sorry I cannot review that.Thank you for your feedback regarding your visit and the flow of access around the Birthplace and exhibition. We will take that on board when reviewing our seasonal plans. Owing to the age of the building, it is not possible to include a lift to the upper floor which is accessed by stairs. We are pleased however that you were able to view the video of the upper floor. Should you wish to hear a detailed introduction to the Birthplace, you can listen on our website via this link. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/plan-your-visit/access/access-bp/WrittenThis response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 12 April 2023
- Crystal G2 contributionsGreat Family ExperienceThis was a great experience for myself, my husband, and our teenager. Each room in the house has a speaker who provides an overview of the history of the room and to keep foot traffic moving smoothly through the tour so that none of the locations became overcrowded. The speakers in each room were knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions regarding the history of the home.Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace. We are pleased that you were able to take in the atmosphere and enjoy hearing about the history of the house. Hopefully, we can welcome you back in the future!Written 18 April 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 14 April 2023
- The Baobab RepublicBangkok, Thailand382 contributionsGreat memoryGreat writer of England. It was a very memorable experience. We have also traveled to many places around the world, visiting the birthplace, living and growing up of many famous people and great people. Today, being here, we feel it is a blessing to understand better, even a little bit, about the great English writer: Shakespeare.Visited May 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 5 May 2023
- MrSmitcherTacoma, Washington578 contributionsA true pilgrimage . . .What a treat to have this building still standing after 500 years. We enjoyed the walk through & each volunteer's explanation of the rooms one by one. The gardens were quite a bonus too. Worth the $$ for the 3 site ticket.Visited May 2023Written 14 May 2023
- MichaelaMaldon, United Kingdom11 contributionsShakespeare’s childhood homeExcellent! Don’t miss this! Furnished and set out as it might have been in Shakespeare’s time with audio/videos to download for each room as you go round. Helpful guides along the way to provide extra details. Really atmospheric and quite amazing to think you tread on the same stone floor that Shakespeare did. Sent shivers up my spine. Great gift shop too!Visited May 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 31 May 2023
- lamarbradleyNashville, Tennessee1,190 contributionsShakespeare's Birthplace and childhood homeWe stopped here on our tour. It was well preserved and furnished. This is the location, but the structure has been changed several times since Shakespeare's' time according to the subsequent needs of the owners and times. It is hard to picture just what it would have looked like, but I'm sure they have done their best to recreate it and provide a sense of life in that time. Nice museum here.Visited May 2023Written 5 June 2023
- Richard_Harpum1,810 contributionsA must see when visiting Stratford-upon AvonMy wife and I visited Shakespeare's birthplace during a long weekend stay in Warwickshire based in Stratford-upon Avon. It's probably essential to book on line ahead of the visit. The entry is actually about 40 yards from the house in the visitors' centre, so there's no point waiting outside the front door at your allotted time. There is plenty of information available and helpful guides. A must-see when visiting Stratford-upon Avon.Thank you for your review. With over 500 years of history at the Birthplace, we try and make our visitors' experience as interesting and engaging as possible. We are happy to hear that you had an enjoyable visit.Written 20 July 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2023Written 26 June 2023
- Tracey GHalesowen, United Kingdom2,080 contributionsA great visitA good starting point when in Stratford. Allow about 1 hour depending on how busy it is. Some big school parties when I visited but they were all well behaved Lots of information. Too much to read all in one visit. I will definitely go againThank you for your review. With over 500 years of history at the Birthplace, we try and make our visitors' experience as interesting and engaging as possible. All feedback is welcomed and we are happy to hear that you had an enjoyable visit. We look forward to welcoming you again one day.Written 20 July 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 12 July 2023
- Cavegirl1980Westhoughton, United Kingdom103 contributionsGet the 3 house ticket and look for deals onlineI've read reviews where people have purchased multiple tickets for the three houses and feel ripped off. Don't do that! Get the 3 in 1 tickets and look for deals online. We got a Gardener's World discount just with a code from the magazine. Worked out at about a fiver each for each venue - which is amazing value. Plan your visit ahead of time and book for the Birthplace. The exhibition is great, the house is full of history and you actually stand in the room where Shakespeare was born! If that isn't going to make you feel something then don't bother. However, if you are interested in Shakespeare then this is a fantastic venue.Thank you for your feedback, we are pleased to hear that you had such a good visit. For those visitors who want to visit all three of Shakespeare's family homes, the Shakespeare's Story ticket offers good value for money and is valid for 365 days with multiple visits.Written 22 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2023Travelled with familyWritten 25 July 2023
- UKSnorkellerUnited Kingdom481 contributionsBuy the Shakespeare Story Ticket to all 3 locations and pre book this location or be prepared to face a lengthy queue.Thankfully we had pre booked our time slot as advised on the website, the queue was massive but we got straight in at our allocated time via a different queue. Lots of helpful, knowledgeable staff and lots of QR codes to scan for further information. We went on a summer Saturday and there were actors in the garden performing Shakespeare and recruiting volunteers to perform with them. There is an interesting exhibition before you arrive at the birthplace cottage but the information is not particularly detailed. It’s a place you must visit on a first trip to Stratford upon Avon, just plan your visit carefullyThank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your visit and we are so glad that you enjoyed your time here. Hopefully, you were able to explore the rest of the town as well!Written 22 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 July 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
5,287 reviews
Excellent
2,751
Very good
1,695
Average
581
Poor
174
Terrible
87
StephenCross
Dublin, Ireland18,526 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Shakespeare’s birthplace is located on Henley Street. Fantastic old world building and it extends out the back. A must see!
Written 18 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yvette
Beeston, UK19 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Very interesting visit, the guides in each room were the most enthusiastic I've come across and really wanted to share with you what they knew which really made the experience.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lee
Liverpool, UK635 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
My daughter and I visited between Christmas and New Year and had a really wonderful visit. All staff members were lovely and explained so much history to us and were extremely knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the exhibition at the beginning as there was something for everybody within the narrative. Visiting the house itself was a real treat, especially getting to walk upon the beautiful old floor. All staff members in every room were brilliant. We would definitely visit again. My daughter loved the shop.
Written 9 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
charisrenton
Dalgety Bay, UK4 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
Price in line with other tourist attractions. Well signposted. Really lovely people to greet you. One of them was back from Norway and we had a nice chat. In the building, initially had difficulty getting a staff member to talk to, but glad I waited around. Spoke to a lovely woman named Rebecca (I think) who was so knowledgeable! Could have spoken to her all day (I almost did). And in the gift shop, a lovely lady who helped me pick out a shakeapeare book suitable for my brother with autism. Really lovely staff throughout which made the experience!
Written 4 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AustintoBoston
Boston, MA338 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
We all know Shakespeare is the primary draw for visitors to this charming city, and I'm happy to say that his birthplace is well worth the visit. Lovely little museum before you enter the house itself, and very knowledgeable guides spread throughout. You can't come to Stratford without visiting.
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosetogo
44 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
I had difficulty finding the place, perhaps there were signs I missed. Staff were informative. A bit on the Shakespear family, a bit on the time. A good recreation of the time. It does get crowded.
Written 23 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. With over 500 years of history at the Birthplace, we try and make our visitors' experience as interesting and engaging as possible.
All feedback is welcomed and we are happy to hear that you had an enjoyable visit.
Written 27 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Leah P
3 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We absolutely love coming here and we come every time we visit Stratford-upon-Avon. You can buy a ticket which lasts for a year and includes the other properties like New Place so it's great value if you plan to come back to Stratford more than once in a year. The staff here are absolutely amazing. They aren't just warm, friendly and welcoming, but they are also incredibly knowledgeable and I don't think I've ever asked a single question that the staff haven't been able to answer. Yesterday, upon entrance to the house, we listened to a brilliant presentation from Neil, which was funny, engaging and very interesting.
The house itself is beautiful and the gardens are lovely, even in winter. They often have actors performing Shakespeare in the garden and they have other events on. We even got to try sword fighting once in the garden! There is also a gift shop with some lovely things to buy, which is reasonably priced and the staff are very friendly & helpful.
The house itself is beautiful and the gardens are lovely, even in winter. They often have actors performing Shakespeare in the garden and they have other events on. We even got to try sword fighting once in the garden! There is also a gift shop with some lovely things to buy, which is reasonably priced and the staff are very friendly & helpful.
Written 18 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
We were happy to hear that you had such an informative and enjoyable visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace, with our Guides adding to that enjoyment.
To receive such positive feedback is very rewarding and we will be sure to share this with our colleagues including Neil.
Written 27 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul R
Lincoln, UK55 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Great historical place to visit. Starts with a small modern display then you go into the garden, which had an entrance into the house. It's obviously changed lot different since Shakespeare day, but it's very interesting.
Becareful of low door ways, wonky floors lol.
Tip..buy the Shakespeare story ticket.
You get the birthplace, new place, and Ann Hathaways cottage at a discounted price.
Becareful of low door ways, wonky floors lol.
Tip..buy the Shakespeare story ticket.
You get the birthplace, new place, and Ann Hathaways cottage at a discounted price.
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace.
We value the opinions of our visitors and will always look for ways to include their feedback in enhancing our offer.
Written 27 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
VonDF
London, UK132 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Really interesting to see Shakespeare’s childhood home. It’s a beautiful building. The guides in various rooms were really informative, giving little talks about the family and Shakespeare himself. They were also super knowledgeable if you had random Qs (like we did!)
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for your feedback, especially your comments about our guides. We will be sure to share your compliments with them.
Written 27 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RuthieJ
12 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We enjoyed our visit and, even though we both know quite a bit about history, and Shakespeare, we still learned some new things.
The exhibition before you enter the house is attractive and informative.
The house itself is really nicely laid out, so you get a good idea of life in Tudor England.
The real highlight were the guides in each of the rooms. They knew their facts, explained things beautifully and with humour, and answered questions knowledgeably.
The shop was a treasure trove of all things Shakespearean.
The exhibition before you enter the house is attractive and informative.
The house itself is really nicely laid out, so you get a good idea of life in Tudor England.
The real highlight were the guides in each of the rooms. They knew their facts, explained things beautifully and with humour, and answered questions knowledgeably.
The shop was a treasure trove of all things Shakespearean.
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your visit and we are so glad that you enjoyed your time here.
Hopefully, you were able to explore the rest of the town as well!
Written 27 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KerryBella
Gravesend, UK
Hi would you recommend booking tickets for this before hand? I’ve seen you can book a ticket for the 3 top places to visit in one ticket ? Not sure if it’s cheaper online or just to book when we arrive? Thank you in advance. 🎭🎟☺️
Jane H
Morriston, UK146 contributions
I'd book in advance. The only timed one is for Shakespeare's Birthplace so you can fit the others in as you like. We did Ann Hathaway's cottage first then made our way in to Stratford on Avon ready for the 'timed' visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace and after a break for a spot of lunch made our way to New Place.
Ant Webb
17 contributions
How long dose it take to go around/look around?
LisaMaidstone
Maidstone, UK62 contributions
I would say 1-1.5 hours, depending on if you want to read everything that’s available and listen to all the audio commentary points that are en-route.
Laura
Tamworth, UK4 contributions
Is Shakespeare's birthplace open all year round? I appreciate that it is currently closed.
Chrix
West Kirby, UK64 contributions
We went in February and it was open then but everything has changed since then. It was good to go off peak though because the highly knowledgeable team of staff could go into more detail and did! Well worth a visit when things calm down.
If we see Shakespeare's house on foot, what other houses are within walking distance? Is there a tour ticket we can purchase in advance? We don't have access to a printer but can book online.
Thank you so much.
We will buy the 5 houses online ticket which seems like a good buy even for 2 or 3 places.
Arafath A
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Is photography allowed inside the houses ?
bensT9107YL
Swadlincote, UK273 contributions
Yes but not with a flash.
corradopanzieri
Buccinasco, Italy17 contributions
Vorrei sapere quanto è stimata la voce "Tirismo Shakespeare" sul PIL (Prodotto Interno Lordo U.K.). Grazie
everythingevy
Arkansas City, KS
How much time should I allow to visit all 5 houses? And how much time if I were to skip the farm?
Alan H
Chalfont St. Giles, UK147 contributions
We started at Birthplace as opens st 10.00 and took about an hour for visit as small museum attached. We then walked to New Place (10 min), then Halls Croft (5 min). Worth then popping into Trinity Church (5 min) as he is buried here but not on ticket so they ask £3 each voluntary contribution. These are all 30 min to hour to look around. Anne Hathaway cottage is then a mile walk (20 min) or you can drive as loads of parking. I think it’s the nicest bit. We did all of them same day and still had time to visit shops on high street. We fix farm on the next day as more to do there especially for children. Make sure you buy on line ticket for all houses even if you do not do farm as big saving
Lambchop1425
Liverpool, UK29 contributions
We are going for a three night stay at the best western hotel in september included are tickets to either Warwick castle or 3 of 5 of shakespears houses we chose shakespears houses but what I would like to know is are these tickets only valid for one day?
FatBub
Ottawa41 contributions
If you have the annual pass you purchased, it's valid for one year - visit as often as you like 😎
dennisg335
Bury St. Edmunds, UK8 contributions
I read on one review that tickets were valid for one year but no other reviews mentioned this. One answer was only valid for a day but another said one year. Do you know which is correct?
gourmetgardener2017
Christchurch, New Zealand7 contributions
Yes they are valid for one year. The tickets will be printed with your name on it, so it's non transferable, and if you buy the full ticket it will allow you entry to all five of the Shakespeare venues: Shakespeares birthplace, Mary Arden's Farm, New Place, Hall's croft and Anne Hathaway's cottage. It's great value for money.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingShakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
Frequently Asked Questions about Shakespeare's Birthplace
- Hotels near Shakespeare's Birthplace:
- (0.04 km) Ground floor apartment close to town centre
- (0.04 km) Beautiful 2-Bedroom Townhouse Stratford-upon-Avon
- (0.06 km) Ground floor apartment, close to town centre, reserved parking space
- (0.14 km) The White Swan Hotel, Stratford
- (0.10 km) Courtland Hotel
- Restaurants near Shakespeare's Birthplace:
- (0.03 km) Tapas Fridays
- (0.03 km) Bensons
- (0.04 km) Shakespeare's Birthplace Cafe
- (0.04 km) Box Brownie Coffee
- (0.06 km) The Food of Love
- Attractions near Shakespeare's Birthplace:
- (0.00 km) The Shakespeare Heritage Trail
- (0.02 km) The Shakespeare Centre
- (0.03 km) The Jester
- (0.04 km) Timeless Tales
- (0.04 km) The Nutcracker Christmas Shop